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bin/strace.README

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+/*
+ * @(#)README	1.4 91/09/06
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 1991 Paul Kranenburg.
+ *
+ * Please send comments, enhancements or any other useful ideas to
+ * the address at the end of this file.
+ *
+ */
+
+strace(1) is a system call tracer for Sun(tm) systems much like the
+Sun supplied program trace(1). strace(1) is a useful utility to sort
+of debug programs for which no source is available which unfortunately
+includes almost all of the Sun supplied system software.
+
+Like trace(1), strace displays each system call and its arguments as it
+is invoked by the traced process, but tries to do a better job of
+decoding the arguments, displaying them in symbolic format whenever
+possible. Passed structures/character arrays are read from the process'
+address space and displayed in an appropriate format.
+
+It is also possible to instruct strace to trace child processes as
+they are created by the fork(2) system call. However, this is slightly
+involved for two reasons: 1) the trace flag is cleared in the child
+process by the fork system call, so we must make a special effort to
+gain control of the child (see NOTES below), 2) our tracing manipulations
+of the child may interfere with a possible wait(2) system call executed
+by the (also traced) parent process. In this case we don't allow the parent
+to continue until one of its children enters a state that may cause the
+parent's wait(2) call to return.
+
+
+NOTES.
+
+o	Not all system calls have been implemented yet as described
+	above (see dummy.h for a list), these calls only have their args
+	displayed as hex numbers.
+
+o	The program draws heavily on Sun's extensions to the ptrace(2)
+	system call.
+
+o	This release is based upon SunOS 4.1.1. The syscall list (syscall.h)
+	and ioctl's (ioctlent.h) are probably most critically dependant
+	on the OS version (see also /sys/os/init_sysent.c).
+
+o	The way in which child processes are caught and attached to after
+	the fork() call is Sparc-specific (in fact it has the looks of a
+	terrible hack). Also, this trick won't work with vfork(2).
+	Enhancements are sollicited for.
+
+
+INSTALLATION.
+
+	Edit the paths in the Makefile to suit your local system.
+	Enter the usual make commands (`make debug' to enable the
+	compiler `-g' flag).
+
+
+COMMENTS TO:
+
+	P. Kranenburg
+	Department of Computer Science
+	Erasmus University Rotterdam
+	P.O. Box 1738
+	NL-3000 DR Rotterdam
+	e-mail: pk@cs.few.eur.nl